Daily Devotionals

Mix Tape Week 4 Wednesday

For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. Ephesians 5:22

The healthiest marriages consist of husbands and wives looking out for each other and their needs constantly. In these marriages, both husbands and wives understand that they are one team and that when their spouse is doing well, their marriage will be stronger. Even for those who are single, Christians are called to live lives of submission, looking out for the needs of others rather than their own. While this sounds noble and honorable on paper, this lifestyle is not natural. Therefore, one must make an intentional decision to live this way. Today, we are going to talk about what it looks like in marriage to live this way. Specifically, we will look at a call found in Ephesians 5:22 for wives to submit to their husbands. While it is a call for wives to live out this verse, I think we will see that it is a call for all of us to live a lifestyle of service to God, whether we are married or single. 

Teaching about submission in marriage in Ephesians chapter 5, Paul wrote, “wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” When Paul says submit to your husbands, he was instructing wives to live their lives to look out for their husbands’ needs and interests. It meant to be on their team and to push for their success. Men and single people, lest you think that you are left out of this equation, remember that yesterday in our study, we saw that all believers are to submit to each other and constantly seek the betterment of each other. After all, as followers of Jesus, we seek the same goal: to know Christ and make Christ known. When we submit to one another and seek each other’s well-being, Christ’s love is made apparent to those watching. 

When you consider your life, are you living for yourself, or are you seeking out the betterment of those around you, especially your spouse, if you are married? If we are followers of Jesus, our lives are not our own. They belong to God. When we submit to each other and fight for and with each other, the body of Christ is stronger, and those around us see the impact Christ can make in a person’s life.

Moving Toward Action

Will you commit today to live a lifestyle that seeks out the needs of others rather than yourself? What is one way today that you can lay down your rights for the betterment of someone else? If you are married, specifically answer this question in relation to your spouse. Commit to doing this one thing today.

Going Deeper

Ephesians 5:1-24 (NLT)

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,

rise up from the dead,

and Christ will give you light.”

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.